In the wake of the off- campus murder of one of its graduate students in Moscow last week, the University of Idaho is reaching out to the public to reassure family and friends that their loved ones are safe.

It is a parent’s worst fear — that your child has been sent out into the world but isn’t safe.

You could hear the anguish in the voice of UI President Duane Nellis on Friday as he made a public statement about the August 22nd murder of 22 year old UI graduate student Katy Benoit:

According to Moscow Police, University of Idaho graduate student Katy Benoit and the suspect in her murder, former UI assistant professor Ernesto Bustamante, began a sexual relationship during the fall 2010 semester.

The relationship ended in May of this year, and Benoit filed a sexual harassment complaint with the UI on June 12, alleging that threats of violence occurred on three separate occasions where Bustamante held a gun to her head. Bustamante denied the allegations.

On the day she was killed, University of Idaho graduate student Katy Benoit met with university officials about the complaint she had filed against former assistant professor Ernesto Bustamante, and university officials cautioned her to remain vigilant and seek out help if she had any safety concerns.